Proposition 13 was good for me and others who were lucky to have bought homes in California before 1978. Our property taxes have remained so low that even as our children have grown up and moved away it doesn’t make financial sense to move and find smaller but more expensive quarters.

But Proposition 13 also had some negative impacts. It meant less money for our schools and our cities. California public schools were once the envy of the nation. Since Proposition 13 they have fallen to 41st place in per student spending. When my youngest child was in high school, she was using the same science book that my eldest child used 10 years earlier. Classes became large and most of the excellent math and science teachers left for jobs in the more lucrative private sector.

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(4) comments

Seasoned Observer

Beware, this is only the first step to dismantle Prop 13. The proponents of this initiative will not stop until Prop 13 is completely dismantled.

The exemption for small businesses is very narrow and will impact many mom and pop businesses such as your local coffee shop and favorite restaurant because many of the businesses rent their spaces under "triple-net" leases which means the property owner passes along the cost of all taxes to the renter, i.e., proprietor. Moreover, this will only worsen the economic landscape for many retailers are already facing an uphill battle with internet competitors.

If there was ever a wolf in sheep's clothing this is it.

Christopher Conway

The answer to education funding is a user fee. If you have a child in public education, there should be a $500/year fee to help offset the cost of educating your child. This will increase revenue and will also create more of a buy-in from parents who have to now shell out money for their child. Until public education opens up its books and allows more parent involvement in education decisions, no money from taxpayers and that includes those who own real estate. Regarding prop 13, it's funny that the ones who complain the most about it are the ones that demand more and more of your money. Sorry Sue- look for another way to fund public education in California, the taxpayer is tapped out.

Steve Hayes

Apparently you do not realize that parent contributions to education are already being made - the goal in Belmont/Redwood Shores is $1500 per student, for example.

SMC citizen

That's a suggested,voluntary contribution. His point is to charge mandatory fees to public school students/parents.
As far as prop 13, where in the Bay Area, houses average $1,000,000 +, $12,500 + in property tax a year is not enough?? how about cutting into School District employees/administrators wages to cut costs? or at least spread the enormous wealth of the admin to the actual Teachers.

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